Sunday, August 30, 2009

Bliss @ Punggol Park

Business at Bliss was brisk on the Saturday evening that I went. The lush surroundings of Punggol Park, friendly staff, reasonable prices and a menu of familiar comfort food were a huge draw to both families and friends.


The menu consisted of the usual diner fare such as steaks, pastas and fried items. As usual, I was torn between choosing a familiar favourite and trying something new. In the end, we ordered bangers and mash, sirloin steak, crispy duck and spicy chicken wings. For a couple of dollars more, PT upgraded one main to a set meal that comprise some soup, salad, ice-cream and a drink.

The spicy chicken wings appeared extremely intimidating. Covered with hot sauce and chilli flakes, they looked as though they were going to explode in your mouth and burn your throat and gut going down. But in this case, the bark (or sqwak) was much fiercer than the bite and the result was a zesty little dish with just a dash of heat.

Chilli-coated drumlet



Soup (cream of chicken) and salad were pretty ordinary. I felt that more could be done to make the salad more interesting. It was a standard plate of iceberg lettuce. A few leaves of purple cabbage and rockets would have made the dish a lot more memorable.

The crispy duck was a pleasant surprise. The skin was roasted to a delightful crunch whilst the meat held its moistness. Two extremely large cuts were laid out on a plate, together with grilled baby potatoes and a tangy slaw. A piquant mango sauce was drizzled over the meat and it gave a little zing to the dish. Definitely something worth ordering again.


Crispy and juicy


The bangers and mash looked more impressive than it tasted. A large chicken sausage was laid over a mound of mash potatoes. What was puzzling was the pool of black pepper gravy that almost swallowed the whole dish. The gravy was too heavily seasoned and the peppery taste nearly overpowered the entire dish. The mash was rather dry and hard despite being soaked in the gravy. In the end, we scraped off the gravy, enjoyed the sausage and nibbled on the mash.

The steak, not surprisingly, wasn’t anything to shout about. Although it was a huge piece of meat, it was too heavily seasoned and rather tough. It took quite a bit of chewing to get a mouthful down.

Would I go to Bliss again? Most probably yes. I like the casual al fresco dining and service is prompt and friendly. The servings are also generous. But I’ll likely stick to the fail safe dishes like pastas and poultry and stay clear of the steaks and lambs.

Food: 6.2/10
Ambience: 8/10
Damage to pocket: $$
Yum: Crispy Duck 

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